Commissioner Hadja Lahbib outlined her vision for the future of the humanitarian system during her speech at the United Nations event "Reforming for Impact" in New York on 23 September 2025. Lahbib emphasized the European Union's steadfast commitment as a leading donor in global humanitarian aid, highlighting that the EU, together with its Member States, provides over 40% of global aid, representing a significant presence in international humanitarian efforts.
Commitment Anchored in Long-Term Funding and Core Values
Lahbib reaffirmed that the EU's humanitarian commitment is secured through its long-term budget for 2028-2034, aiming for predictable and principled assistance grounded in international humanitarian law and core European values like solidarity, equality, and diversity. She also underscored a focus on integrating women and girls into humanitarian policies, supporting women-led organizations as key actors in crisis response and community rebuilding.
Concrete Proposals and Policy Orientations
The Commissioner outlined concrete reform priorities under the Humanitarian Reset initiative, including increasing accountability by centering aid on affected populations' needs, enhancing humanitarian diplomacy to protect civilians, strengthening the nexus between humanitarian, development, and peace efforts especially in fragile contexts, and improving logistics and supply chain coordination to reduce duplication and optimize resource use. Lahbib also called for more inclusive and transparent dialogue in humanitarian reform and stronger donor coordination to ensure funding predictability and collective action.
Political and Stakeholder Implications
This speech signals a push toward increasing the coordination and transparency of EU humanitarian aid, balancing the power between EU institutions, Member States, and local actors in crisis zones. For EU regulatory bodies and Member States, it underlines a willingness to boost institutional strength and operational integration in humanitarian aid. EU producers and logistic sectors may face increased expectations to optimize and collaborate, potentially improving efficiency but also raising compliance demands. A highlight is the strengthening of civil society, particularly women-led organizations, potentially offering them greater influence and resources. Conversely, the call for enhanced donor coordination and accountability could impose administrative burdens on some actors, testing their flexibility.
Overall, Commissioner Lahbib's speech at the UN suggests a move to deepen EU engagement in humanitarian aid with clear operational goals and a firm commitment to values and inclusivity, signaling a strategic shift toward more integrated, efficient, and people-centered humanitarian practices.